Okay, so you’re going on a trip; maybe it’s for business or maybe for pleasure, maybe it’s to the other side of the country or the other side of the planet. Where ever you’re going, for whatever reason, we’re sure you’re going to want to look snappy when you get there. But, this begs the question, how are you going to pack without getting your shirts wrinkled, creased or otherwise rumpled by the time you arrive at your destination?
For those who don’t want to gamble with cheap, unreliable hotel irons or pay larcenous front desk laundering fees, we have a few suggestions on how to keep your clothes looking nice while you’re away from home.
For some really fussy travelers, the preferred method of clothing transport involves putting expensive suits and shirts into a carry-on garment bag. This kind of bulky bag will keep your clothes nice and flat while draped over your shoulder, but unless you can solicit the help of a friendly stewardess (or steward) to hang your bag with the flight crew uniforms, your pristinely ironed garments are going to be toast when stuffed into an overhead bin.
Another suggestion we’ve heard a lot is to fold your shirts and then wrap them in tissue or toilet paper when placing them into your luggage. Unless your shirts are wrapped like King Tut, a few microns worth of thin paper isn’t going to do much to reduce wrinkle-causing pressure to your clothing. If you’re going to fold your shirts, a far better alternative (for those with room to spare in their bags) is to put them into thin cardboard boxes, which can usually be picked up at any cleaner for a small charge.
For people averse to folding though, a tempting alternative would be to roll your dress shirts. This might seem like a good way to save space if you’re bags are small or filled with other things, but in general this method is only slightly better than wading your shirts into a ball and then jumping on top of them.
By far the best packing method we’ve used involves wrapping your clothes around a central object – we usually use a laptop in a thin carrying case, or a stack of magazines but any broad flat object should be fine. We start with wrapping Ts and undershirts around the object and then pants and then move on to larger items. For dress shirts, make sure the front is buttoned and then wrap the sleeves and hem around the object with the torso area and collar placed flat. Once you’ve got a nice “sphere” of clothing try wrapping a towel around it to keep the mass from coming loose and then place it into your bag. Fill in empty space with socks or other small items to add further support.
Another equally good packing solution for people with larger bags requires laying your shirts flat against the bottom of your case with only the sleeves folded across the chest. This works best if you have a bag with a flat bottom, but you can create a smooth, soft surface on which to place your shirts by laying down a few socks or undershirts first. Once you’ve got your shirts laid flat, cover them with a towel, a layer of magazines or something else thick in order to distribute the pressure of the rest of your luggage.
After a little bit of practice, keeping your clothes looking good during your next trip should be a snap. With all the obstacles and problems travelers face, keeping your dress shirts looking nice shouldn’t be one of them.
Tags: Avoiding Wrinkles, Traveling, Work Shirts
